To my own horror, I realize that I'd become one of THEM. Those authors with annoyingly short chapters. Oh no TT This story is supposed to be short anyway, no real plot to it, just recorded emotions, so I guess it's ok... Thank you very much.


omoidashite kindan no amai kajitsu wo
kin-iro no torikago ni ima mo nao aru no ni
Remember that forbidden, indulgent, beautiful day
even now, even though you're in a golden birdcage.


There was little rest once on the Diplo, the Aquaelie picked us up soon after your recovery. There was no time to talk to you. The Aquaelie was a large ship, and, for the first time, we each had our own rooms.

At inns and such we'd get two rooms, one for Nel and Maria and another for us guys. We were pretty crammed in that one room. There were… you, me, Cliff, and Roger all in those tiny rooms with one or two beds. The floors were hard and couches were rare, unless we stayed in Peterny that is.

Cliff always insisted that he and I get the beds if there were two, or just me if there were one. But I, aiming to be a selfless hero that people can use as a role model, insisted that you three draw straws for the beds. I would always take the floor, no matter how much Cliff insisted.

One time we had stopped in Airyglyph after some rigorous training. That city was cold, very cold. Roger was curled up on an easy chair while Cliff and yourself got the beds. It was cold in the floor. My bodyguard had been worried and tried to make it as comfortable as he could for me, adding blankets and clothes to my nest. It was still pretty darn cold. I shivered so hard and couldn't sleep. My teeth must've chattered too hard because you could sleep either. I had been laying there with my eyes shut when I felt your strong right hand grasp my wrist. I jumped, but didn't yelp.

You breathed in my ear, it was warm. "Come on, Maggot. You freezing is keeping me awake, get in that bed." I resisted but you dragged me across the hard stone floor and threw me onto that mattress.

"But- this is-"

"What does it matter when you're freezing to death?" You crawled beneath the sheets. We tried to stay as far away from each other as possible. You had your back to me, but I found it hard to sleep on my left side, so I was looking at your back as I fell asleep.

At that time it had been a necessity, a need for warmth. Now there was no such need and we each had a room on board. I did stay in your room for a while to talk to you, though. I liked talking to you. Each day you opened up a little more, it made me very happy that you were getting to trust me. You assured me that you could handle all of the killing. Usually this was just your arrogance, but that time your voice held a different tone. It was almost like you wanted me to relax, like you were going to take care of me. It must've been my imagination.

At moonbase I learned about myself. Loneliness ate me up. Sadness devoured me as everything I grew up with disappeared. All those times in the park with my father, my first day of school, gone. I had even thought that I could make something of myself and joined a university to study Symbology like my father. Vacation's long been over, that dream is dead. What future could I ever have now that all of this has happened? Surely I could never return to a normal life, settle down, marry and such. My destiny was a slap in the face, a blunt dagger cutting into my chest to completely excavate everything.

Returning to the Aquaelie, we explained to commodore. Ultimately, I went back to my room to think and rest. I didn't know I was sobbing quite so much until I stopped and wondered a little. Of course I went to see you first, your room was closest and you were you. You blinked to see me and kept that cold face.

"You were crying, maggot?" You tossed your head arrogantly to the side.

Feeling my face I found it still dry from salt. there was no hiding it. "I didn't think it was that bad..." I sat down on the couch.

"Well it is. You're as bright as blood." Normally you would have said 'sickening' or 'weakling,' but I noticed you weren't quite so harsh to me. I thought you probably weren't as harsh to anyone on the team anymore. Perhaps it wasn't worth your time.

"It's just that all those times when i was a kid, I wonder if my dad saw me as a person."

"Shut it! he said he loved you no matter what, right? Don't go on a foolish tangent, you heard what he said!"

"True, but-"

"If you care about your father , then you'll try to understand. Your past is real, make the best of it!"

"Albel!" I admit my shock because I can hardly deny it.

"What!" You snapped. I suppose I dug in too deep, because you weren't ready to share that yet.

"Thank you." I smiled and closed my eyes, sighing. My eyes opened quickly as my head snapped back. A metallic claw held my jar as your body and good arm blocked my mistake, pinning me to the couch. "Albel! What is this!" Your face was close, your breath warm. I felt my cheeks brighten, but the red from crying hid it.

"Was I acting too soft, is that why you were so surprised?" Sharp red eyes scanned well beyond my own emeralds.

"I-It's just you don't act so 'wicked' anymore. What's your deal!" I attempted to push away at your chest, but those tense muscles held. My hands halted. Your heart was beating so close to the surface, it seemed. Such a strong beat. That's when I noticed that I could see your chest pulse with my own bare eyes. Such life thrived within you. You're a mere human, after all, just like me.

Your face came closer. "My deal, huh?"

"Yes, your deal! Are you completely insane!"

"People have called me insane since I started getting stronger. I always thought that they were jealous little weaklings with no worth once so ever, I wouldn't listen. But you..." You came in so close that I could feel your lips brush my ears, the soft colored tips of your hair brushing against my cheek. "You and your happy little world, you and all of your close loving friends, you and your good-two-shoes world saving, you're driving me mad. And now that your perfect world has crumbled, now that I've seen your tears, I think my insanity will over take me."

Your breath held a sort of venomous touch as it passed over my skin. The claw on my chin had walked it's way around my neck until it was holding the back of my head. You leaned foward so that your forehead was against the wall, pulling me so that my head was held to your chest.

"But mark my words, your life belongs to me. I won't let anyone else have you." Standing, you turned way. "Leave me."

"But, Albel-"

"Leave me!" You stood there before me. Forbidden for me to touch, to love, indulgent, and beautiful.

"Albel, you can't handle this on your own anymore!" I wasn't even sure what I meant by that as I rushed to you and embraced you from behind. I held you as tight as I could to keep you from pushing me away.

"You don't know anything about me, maggot! Are you calling me weak!"

"No, I'm calling you human!"

There was a long silence. Apparently, you haven't been called human in a very long time. The wicked one, monster, maybe even devil, but never human.

"I-"

"Albel, you're only human. I'm only human. The great are only human. There's nothing wrong with that. We can't do everything on our own, that's why we bind ourselves together in villages, cities, kingdoms, armies, teams, friends... lovers... That's why, we're only humans."

"So you're calling me weak, are you?"

"No! No, you're not weak. But if you let yourself go on like this, you will become weak. You'll wither on the inside and become hollow. Hollow things break easily, you need to fill yourself up again."

You gave a little squirm and I let go. Turning, you looked me in the eyes, your rubies holding that saddened expression that you're not able to hide very well. "I've been filling myself up, but that supply is gone. I've killed thousands of people to fill myself up, but then the pleasure leaves and I need to kill some more. It doesn't work that way."

"I know it doesn't work that way! Violence, hate, greed, power, they won't fill the gap!"

"Then what do you suggest." Your eyes cut into me as I bit my lower lip stubbornly.

"Friendship... for now."

"And for later?"

"I-I can't tell you what the future will bring. Maybe love?"

"HA!" You exclaimed loudly, leaning back on a table. "Love! As if anyone in all of the world would love me! As if I'd love in return! Don't be stupid, fool!"

"Well, we're headed for other worlds, so..."

"Shut up!" Again I found my head pinned to the wall, your face in mine, your claw on my chin, but your hand was on my waist. "Nobody, I said nobody, no fool anywhere, loves the Wicked, mourns the Wicked when they die!" You came in so close that I could feel your ivory canines on my lip. Then you pressed your lips against mine and kissed me with some feverish insanity, poisonous, before backing off, turning away and motioning for me to leave. "Nobody."